Air passage device

Abstract

An air passage device for installation into a mounting opening (50) in a wall (51) for components generating waste heat, such as a switch box, includes a base housing (21; 221) with a fan support (25) and a design cover (80; 280), wherein the design cover (80; 280) has on an air inlet side a covering device (100) constructed as a fan grid (10; 210) with sheet elements (90, 90′; 290, 290′). At least one swivellable sheet element (90) or at least one flexible, tongue-shaped side wall section (235), separated from the remaining side wall surface by slits (332, 333) running transversely to the longitudinal direction of the side wall, is formed in the region of the upper side wall of the design cover (80; 280) facing away from the swivel axis (26; 226) for swivelling the design cover (80; 280), wherein the sheet element (90) and the tongue-shaped side wall section (235) are formed between the design cover (80; 280) and the base housing (21; 221) as a detachable and lockable detent connection (40; 240), that can be operated by a finger.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an air passage device, particularly a filter fan or outlet filter. [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004] In the case of components arranged in a housing, which generate corresponding waste heat, it is necessary to carry off the waste heat from the housing and control a temperature in the housing by blowing in or drawing off ambient air into the interior of the housing to a greater or lesser extent by means of the fan. Computer housings are a known example of this. Usually, such housings are provided with a filter fan which either runs continuously or is switched on and off by a control arrangement, depending on a temperature in the housing. The filter fan is arranged in a recess of a wall of the housing and is fixed for example by means of screw connections. At the same time, corresponding air outlet slits are provided for the outlet of air at another location in the housin...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009] It is an object of the present invention to construct an air passage device according to the type described in the introduction so that it is possible to quickly exchange the filter mats without tools and without great structural expenditure, and to open the fan grid effortlessly by the pressure of a finger.

[0014] In order to be able to actuate the said sheet element, according to one embodiment, the latter is preferably held swivellably about its longitudinal axis in the side walls of the design cover or fan grid. Alternatively, the sheet element can be interrupted laterally, in which then the longitudinal axis in the region of the connection to the base housing serves as a swivelling hinge, when this sheet element is formed on the base housing, with this connection region also being able to be formed as a film hinge; however, the use of a flexibly elastic material such as plastic is sufficient in order to make possible a swivelling of the sheet element.

[0020] By this embodiment of the invention, it is also achieved that the design cover with the fan grid is held together with the filter mat swivellably on the base housing of the air passage device, so that an exchanging of the filter mats can be carried out effortlessly, because the design cover is simply opened out and swivelled, so that the filter mat is freely accessible for exchanging. By opening the design cover, the maintenance opening is provided for the exchange of the filter mat, whereby the construction of a separate maintenance opening in the fan housing is dispensed with.

[0021] A further advantage consists in that the opening and closing of the design cover is simplified in that the side wall of the design cover, facing away from the swivel axis of the design cover, has at least one flexibly elastic tongue-shaped section formed from the side wall material, which is provided with an engagement element which, on closing of the design cover, engages into a holding element which is formed or constructed on the side wall of the base housing corresponding to the side wall of the design cover having the tongue-shaped side wall section, so that on closing of the design cover, the engagement element of the tongue-shaped side wall section engages or catches into the holding element. In this process, the bent, tongue-shaped side wall section springs back into its initial position, so that the design cover is locked with the base housing. For unlocking, the design cover is withdrawn from the base housing, whereby the detent connection is released.

[0030] A detent connection which is constructed in such a way provides the advantage that the opening and closing of the design cover is simplified in that the side wall of the design cover, facing away from the swivel axis of the design cover, has at least one flexibly elastic tongue-shaped section formed from the side wall material, having a detent cam which, on closing of the design cover, engages into a recess or depression which is formed on the underside of the side wall of the base housing corresponding to the side wall of the design cover having the tongue-shaped section, so that on closing of the design cover, the tongue-shaped side wall section is bent until the detent cam engages into the depression on the side wall of the base housing, in which then the tongue-shaped section springs back into its initial position until the detent cam is fully engaged into the depression, so that the design cover is locked with the base housing. For unlocking, the tongue-shaped side wall section is bent downwards, for example by acting upon by a pointed object, so that the design cover is withdrawn from the base housing, in which the detent cam of the base housing moves out from the depression on the side wall of the base housing, in which, owing to the flexibly elastic construction of the tongue-shaped side wall section, the latter is bent slightly on the side wall of the base housing, so that the detent cam can slide out from the depression.

Problems solved by technology

However, the installation of such filter fans is frequently laborious, because when screw connections are used, there is scarcely any play available in order to be able to also subsequently visually align the filter fan.

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